Commercial Bank Qatar Masters R1

Pepperell frustrated at disqualification, Hojgaard takes lead

Eddie Pepperell believes the manner of his disqualification from the
Qatar Masters was “a fair distance away from common sense” as his hopes
of qualifying for the Masters took a major blow.

(AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Pepperell recovered from a slow start to card an opening level-par 71 at Education City Golf Club in Doha, only to be disqualified for signing for a lower score than he had taken on the 17th.

The 2018 champion’s overall score was correct, but a second disqualification in his last six European Tour events left Pepperell struggling to secure a place in the year’s first major at Augusta National.

Pepperell began the week ranked 63rd in the world and needs to be
inside the top 50 after the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play on March
30.

The 29-year-old, who was disqualified from November’s Turkish Airlines Open after running out of balls in the third round, wrote on Twitter: “My DQ today wasn’t due to me running out of balls, or hitting anyone, instead, I signed for a wrong score.

“My total, 71, was correct and I indeed signed for that. However, my partner had me down for a 5 on one hole where I made a 6, and a 4 on another, where I made 3.

“I picked him up on it and I changed the card to reflect the fact I actually made a 6 on hole 11 as opposed to a 5, and a 3 on hole 16 as opposed to a 4.

“I then however mistakenly changed the 17th hole, not the 16th hole
on my scorecard, and handed it in. Therefore this meant I was
disqualified.

“Quite disappointing as I actually took the time to change the
original error, only to make a costlier one myself. I asked the referee
if this had any bearing on my disqualification but it didn’t.

“The rules are the rules and I 100% accept that, but I can’t help
feeling that this particular way of disqualification is a fair distance
away from common sense, and that’s also disappointing.

“I enjoyed the course however and hopefully next time I’ll do a better job.”

Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard also enjoyed the new venue following a
switch from Doha Golf Club, the 18-year-old carding nine birdies and two
bogeys in an opening 64 to lead by one shot from Holland’s Joost
Luiten.

Hojgaard, whose twin brother Rasmus won the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius
Open in December, reached the turn in one under par and birdied six
holes in a row from the 10th. Another birdie on the 17th was followed by
a bogey on the last.

“It was a good day,” Hojgaard told Sky Sports. “Started out slow, I
was playing really bad on the first four, five, six holes and was still
actually two under at that point but I was all over the place and my
putter was just on fire today.”